FOUND, like many in Edinburgh, have become more than just bands whose music I enjoy, over the last couple of years they have become a group of guys I genuinely consider to be friends. Consequently, it’s not just a mere journalist’s satisfaction at being vindicated that I feel when they achieve success, such as with Cybraphon‘s Best Interactive Thingy BAFTA last year, it is that really heartwarming feeling you get when people you really like have good things happen to them.

So, umm, something which I am only just getting round to announcing because I have been on holiday is that FOUND signed to Chemikal Underground the other week. I think they went out and got shitfaced afterwards too, actually, according to Facebook, and so might they well. Chemikal kicked themselves into life with the Delgados (who founded the label and, to the best of my knowledge still run it today), Mogwai and Arab Strap, a fact which gave them, pretty much in an instant, just about the three biggest indie bands in Scotland on their roster. Even in the relatively short time I’ve been writing this blog they’ve released albums by Mother and the Addicts and Aidan Moffat which will probably count as two of my favourite albums of the last decade, not to mention the debut albums by Emma Pollock, The Phantom Band and the fantastic Lord Cut Glass record.

The label celebrated its tenth birthday a little while back, clearly established as just about the best label in the country. Only Fence can really touch them in Scotland, I think, and not many more in the rest of Britain. So yes, FOUND have most certainly landed on their feet there – congratulations lads.

The album itself will be out some time in the Spring. I myself have been sitting on it as uncomfortably as one might a bowl of scorpions, twitching to play songs on the podcast or radio show and knowing that the band would fucking kill me if I did. That’s the trouble with being in this position – exercising discretion is rarely a blogger’s best quality. I’ve even resisted the temptation to pop a couple of the new songs they performed at Haarfest (and which I happened to film) up on the internet, just in case everyone involved would rather I didn’t.

Anyhow, erm, congratulations to FOUND and just as soon as I can start playing this stuff I promise I will. It’s really good (sorry, I know that probably doesn’t help). What I have managed is a Toad Session version of Vincent Gallo, which is on the record, and a version of Anti-Climb Paint, which is also on the record. This version is from an EP which was knocking around a little while ago, recorded under the name of Haggard the Listener Group. It is essentially FOUND, I think, but hopefully this is not considered to be letting anything untoward out of the bag, so you can be trusted to enjoy it safely.